Morning Bell: Obamacare’s Failed First Year

“I think that health care, over time, is going to become more popular,” then-White House senior advisor David Axelrod promised David Gregory about Obamacare last September. That same month, the Health Information Campaign, founded by high-profile leftist activists including former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and former White House Communications Director Anita Dunn, spent $2 million on a national television ad campaign touting Obamcare’s first insurance mandates. Now, six months after Axelrod’s promise, and a full year after the bill was signed into law, the results are in: Obamacare is more unpopular than ever.

Look at any poll and you’ll see that Obamacare has only gotten less legitimate. Last year at this time Newsweek showed 40 percent of Americans supporting Obamacare and 49 percent opposing it. Today, only 37 percent support it while 56 percent oppose. According to Quinnipiac, after Obamacare passed last year, 44 percent of Americans approved of President Obama’s handling of health care while 50 percent opposed. Today, only 44 percent approve while opposition has grown to 56 percent. And according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, after Obamacare passed, 62 percent of Americans thought the law would either have no effect on them or make them worse off. Today that number is up to 69 percent.

The reason why President Obama and his liberal allies have failed to turn public opinion around is simple: The major claims made by the President in the effort to pass Obamacare have all been exposed as frauds, and the early implementation by his Administration has been a complete disaster.

“Obamacare will bend the cost curve downward.” Not according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), whose April 22, 2010, report shows Obamacare adding more than $310 billion more in health care spending;

“People who like their health plan can keep it.” Not according to CMS, which estimates that 14 million Americans will lose their current coverage if Obamacare is not repealed;

“The middle class will not see tax increases.” Yes, they will. In fact, most of Obamacare’s tax increases hit the middle class.

On the implementation front, Heritage analyst Brian Blase surveys the early returns:

Benefit Mandates Drove Up Costs. The generous benefit packages mandated by Obamacare are not free. Insurers across the country raising rates at record paces and unequivocally is part of the reason why. For example, Celtic Insurance Company in Wisconsin and North Carolina has attributed half of its 18 percent rate increase to Obamacare mandates.

Preexisting Condition Mandates Destroyed the Child-Only Market. Just one year after Obamacare forced all insurers to sell coverage to all applicants—no matter what—insurers in 34 states have exited the market entirely, and 20 states now have no insurers that offer child-only plans.

Shallow High-Risk Pools. The Obama Administration predicted that 375,000 previously uninsured Americans would benefit from Obamacare’s high-risk insurance pools. In reality, only 12,500 people (just 3 percent of the initial estimate) obtained coverage through this program.

And the worst of Obamacare hasn’t even been implemented yet. Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz told the Seattle Times yesterday: “I think as the bill is currently written and if it was going to land in 2014 under the current guidelines, the pressure on small businesses, because of the mandate, is too great.” Putting some hard numbers on that prediction, International House of Pancakes franchise owner Scott Womack told Heritage’s Tina Korbe: “Our average revenue per employee is $58,000. Our typical profit per employee is $3,000 and this legislation is going to cost anywhere from $7,000 to $10,000 per employee.” America’s businesses simply cannot afford Obamacare. It is, and is going to continue to be, a huge job killer.

Two hundred and thirty-six years ago, while making the case for Virginia to enter the Revolutionary War, Patrick Henry said: “Give me liberty or give me death!” After just one year, it is already clear that President Obama’s failed health care policies are a betrayal of the founding sentiment.

All presidents have lied while in office. This president, with the exception of Bubba, tells the truth abouit as often as the others have lied. It is, in a word, pathological. No one seems to pick up on this behavior being so bereft of reasoned, personal integrity. And we let him get away with it. Because we no longer educate our children, we have dumbed down our electorate to the point of ultimate distraction. America can have bright future without him. When does it start?

I happen to know that America actually is Manashsheh(Israel) by the seed of Joseph(Gen. 48:16) and that our economy will again be positive through the cyclic blessings and cursings of Israel by February of 2012. However, Obama will run again in 2012 and both women and blacks will again come out in hoards(the mayority, not minority of the American voter) and complete the Marxist(Anti-Messiah) takeover of Israel(Remember the story of Eve?) with a planned economic collapse and white men targeted as the cause and for the marxist manidated holocaust. Watch! p.s. Judah was only promised grace(Messiah), but were not given the name Israel as Joseph was, who lost such information because he had broken the covenant made with him that came with knowledge of his name!

Why the hatred for Obama? Once you get past the facts that he's articulate, intelligent and legally elected, his policies aren't much different than Bush's. He's continuing the 30 year tradition of class warfare against the middle class by continuing corporate welfare and tax breaks for the obscenely wealthy while increasing the tax burden on everyone else, continuing 2 unjust wars that are bankrupting the country while getting us involved in Libya, and continuing the Patriot Act policies of big government intervention into the private lives of the people.

There is some good news Berwick has been dropped as an appointee for CMS. He was the strong supporter of the Brittain form of Medical Care. If only we had a House that was really willing to fight the politics and kill off the funding for Obamacare. Over 1000 waivers (2.4M people), most of which supprorted the legislation and do not want the provisions assigned to them. Hopefully, its in a death spiral, but until the Supremes plant a stake in the heart of the legislation, it is a serious threat to the citizens of the USA.

Obama did not write the bill nor did he read it. He is a fraud both as a man and as president. Being weak, cowardly, indecisive, incompetent and lacking in common sense are not qualifications to be president of The United States. The sooner he is an ugly foot note in history, the better.

In your article you said, "Two hundred and thirty-six years ago, while making the case for Virginia to enter the Revolutionary War, Patrick Henry said: “Give me liberty or give me death." After just one year, it is already clear that President Obama’s failed health care policies are a betrayal of the founding sentiment."

Well not the last part of his statement, if I get the drift of the health care plan correctly.

I'm still hopeful someone finds a way to defund this bill permanently. Clearly, democrats don't care what the majority of the American people think about this

"take over of healthcare". Clearly, democrats in general, have the attitude that if they don't like the contents of a bill they leave, go home and get their big brother, come back, and proceed to pommel the hell out of anyone or anything that doesn't think like they do or do what they say. What did BO call it "bullying"…..democrats wrote the book on bullying! They( dems) call in the unions who threaten, they(dems) raise taxes on just about everything, they(dems) spend other peoples money and dole it out like they were growing it in the back yard, and they(dems) most definitely have NO RESPECT FOR THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

As this country slowly dissolves into "something" we no longer can identify as the United States of America, I will ALWAYS blame the democrat party for it's demise…..Democrats are the root of evil in my book.

Why is this unconstitutional law being enforced? A Federal Judge has already spoken. Obama is in contempt and should be arrested and anyone else who uses one cent of taxpayer dollars toward this abortion!

What Heritage Foundation is not telling us is: according to the CNN poll, as reported in Los Angeles Times, of the 57% of polled subjects who do not like Obamacare today, the subjects who are women do not like it because Obamacare DOES NOT GO FAR ENOUGH.

All of the information coming from conservative sources is important, however one can suffer overload. It seems we live in a time when many are yelling fire, but nobody is mapping the way out. Oh we are being told to wake up, stand up, get involved etc. etc. and that's all good and well, but what we need is for you folks who believe like we do and that have a platform to speak from to help us, by exposing us to possible candidates who not only see the problems, and the fixes, but they also have the integrity to put the nation first and not have selfish desire. We do not need a circus of candidates who may or may not mean what they say, we need you folks who are in a position and have the means to ferret out for us genuine patriots willing to serve. Most of us have been burned by disingenuous candidates in the past and are reluctant to get burned again. So if we had a conservative source asking possible candidates the right questions in a manner they could not duck and weave around, and at the same time check their track record, then we could get somewhere. If not, we are all just wasting our time!

why can't we have centers for poor people to go and get medical care at low costs? We have them now in most cities but the small fee they charge is still above what the entitled feel they should pay. Why is it the very ones who kick the most dust are the ones who have never contributed and cheat the system the most? Too many want free medical care because they think it is their right, but I feel they should pay a small fee, and take away some of the gravy, like bingo, smoking drinking, playing the lottery, buying high priced shoes and clothing, have you seen the gold chains and teeth some of these poor people sport?. If we already feed them, help with their rent and give them earned income credit, where is the incentive to go out and get a second job? we all know they have other means of income, boyfriends or jobs under the table, just where is the end? Why do the people who live honest lives have to pay for poverty luxuries when the working class can't have what they work for because of taxes for the programs that hand out so much? We need a snitch system with payment so those who cheat will get caught, and those that turn them in will get a reward. Then we would see just how many poverty ridden folks there are out there.

We're running out of time. The GOP leadership has betrayed us on DEFUNDING Obamacare and making any real cuts to spending by their unwillingness to shut down the government to accomplish this. By design or not, they've done nothing to 'lighten the chains' of this socialist takeover. It's time for Americans exercise their right and duty to petition the government against tyranny. Contact the House Judiciary Comm. and your Congressman with this urgent request:

"We the People REJECT ALL of President Obama's socialist agenda and DEMAND he be impeached, immediately." We may not be successful in getting him removed, but we MUST reject and expose the tyranny!

But, the Republican majority in the House did not defund the $105 billion (I believe that is the correct amount) when they had the opportunity to do so. The Obama administration is rushing to spend this money to implement parts of the law. I have heard thru the grapevine that HHS is already working on creating the maze of agencies – called for in the bill – that will likely have departments under them and both will issue more and more rules, regulations and mandates that will control more and more of our lives.

The Republicans need to be bolder and to play "hard ball" when necessary. Otherwise, Pelosi and her minions will take advantage of us.

Failed? Failed? Obama is wildly successful in his First Years! Point is he is successful as an Anti American! Obama has always intended to do great harm to America! You tick off all the Unconstitutional things this bird has done? List all the "failures?" No my dear friends, these aren't failures at all! The Demo-crats planned these Man Caused Disasters! It was clear to me from Judge Vinson's first and second Order that the Health Care Bill was intended to be a losing cause. Nothing but a trap for the Republicans! Most telling for me Glenn Beck's breaking news that the Half Vast Left Wing Conspiracy plans to bring down the American Economy again this May! 2011 is the year they bring down America, J.P.Morgan/Chase was targeted by name! Clear cut Conspiracy to Treason and DOJ looks the other way (along with the Captive Media!)

When Obama's big Community Organizing success, ACORN brought about the Sub Prime Mortgage melt down? That wasn't a failure. That was a "success!" They fully intended to crash the Economy! And the same people who were so successful in 2009 are pulling it down this year! The Revolution in the Islamic World is another Community Organizing 'success!' Obama sent guys over there on the Public Dime with help from the Unions to light the world on fire! Big American Medicine is a tough nut to crack, so it is "dominate the national conversation" by picking a fight to lose with the Republicans. But in the meantime Nationalized Medicine is set up "by Adminstrative action." It is a lose-lose proposition for the Right! So even when Obama loses on Health Care unaffordability he wins in the end, destroying American Medicine anyway!

It is the damnedest thing! With Impeachment in the air again History is repeating itself! Clinton was Impeached for the wrong reason! He should have been Impeached for Abuse of Power! For using the FBI against the Loyal Opposition! For purging the Justice Department! For Conspiracy to Treason! So it is a joke! RINOs think Impeachment didn't work because Clinton got away with it! The DINOs wrote the Articles! Don't you remember? By now Obama has so many High Crimes (successful, since he's got away with it) that I can't imagine why the Republicans do not Impeach him. So the DOJ acts like a nest of gangsters with so many RICO Counts of Refraining Prosecution (Felony) you can't List them all!

Prosecute the Half Vast Conspiracy or America is destroyed! And the World with it. Obama isn't incompetent, he is like a Sorcerer doing ill above the People's heads!

Aren't there laws in The United States against knowingly committing fraud? Obamacare seems to be a first-rate case of intentional fraud. I'm sure there are plenty of "white-collar" criminals behind bars today who would be happy to report on that.

And it has been reported today on FoxNews by Carl Cameron that the GOP super think tank, Crossroads GPS, is filing a lawsuit against the Dept of HHS. It appears HHS is reluctant to give out documents about the waivers being granted to over 1,000 entities, excusing them from implementing Obamacare. I sure can't understand why they are nervous about this information getting out. I wonder what this administration is afraid of.

Thankfully there are organizations like Heritage and Crossroads GPS, among many, who are keeping Americans informed and are taking actions to try and stop this wholesale fraud our administration is committing.

And we’ve also read that 1 out of 8 Americans think that Obummercare has helped them?? LOL!! They’re probably just drones who think they’re getting something for nothing. Just wait until the death panels and rationing begin. Unless Obummercare is repealed, maybe then these drones will be singing a new tune. And is it also true that Americans don’t even know what to call Obamacare?? LOL!! Let me tell them – it’s an unconstitutional raw deal!! YES!! That’s what it is, nothing more, NADA MAS!! Just think of the 2 words ‘waiver’ and ‘exemption’. If this raw deal is so good, then why would anyone (including the demon-crats in DC who forced it onto us) want waivers or to be exempt from this raw deal?? Don’t people understand common sense anymore??!!

Why in "God's Green Earth" are we giving El Salvador 200 Million Dollars to fight drug trafficing and street gangs. WE ARE BROKE, and Obama is giving away money as if he is Santa Claus. Perhaps Conn can explain this to me.

Mike in Chicago. The top four hundred wealthiest Americans are worth 1.25 trillion dollars (look it up). Even if you tax them at 100% you will not even cover half of this year’s budget and not make a dent in the deficit. The problem with your solution is that there are not enough wealthy people in the US. Regardless, “the wealthy” in the US pay the highest percentage of taxes when compared to other countries. Where is the incentive for them to stay? Where is the incentive for them to invest?

For sure the Obamacare is a manifestation of a Great Conspiration from the Great Enemy. But what permitted the woman to sit inside the White House, dictate and mandate while the unconscious apply, promptly her seductive and silents suggestions? A Book of her verse 29 on Chapter 9 contains the unjunction to apply the healthcare bill-tragedy upon America. Visit it to have the evidence. Obama is but an obedient Servant.Lundquist is right about the fact that he is successful about trying to bring America down, ordered by the woman. But who permitted her to be here? There might lie the true Conspiracy. Remember that America's map is like a Beef hide, a symbol that tells more than books. Meditate about it, and you'll meet me with the only left chance: Second America's Revolution.

It is so sad to see so many people split over party lines, we can only prosper if we stick together. Why should people who have worked hard all their life have to turn over what they have managed to save because so many did not work enough or invest well enough, These people who think they should get what everyone else worked for are little more than leaches. They did not earn this money, they have not contributed to America, and yet they want to tax the people who have been a success into oblivion. The business people of the country employ all those who get the earned income credit, they pay ninety per cent of all the taxes, why should they hand over what they have worked for because you feel like you should rob someones piggy bank? Boy oh boy if the shoe were on the other foot and it was you paying for everything i wonder how you would re-act to the people expecting so many hand outs because they think they are entitled? God gave us the ability to earn a living, not take it from someone else, that goes for medical care as well, Fight for better solutions, not for more hand outs.

Clearly Obamacare has not won over the voters, the important people! It is time to make that very clear to the House! It is also time to remind those in the Senate up for re-election that this time Obamacare has to be defunded!!!! The incompetence of Pelosi and Reid is such that clearly they were and are continue to be clueless. This monstrosity will do nothing more than kill medicine and research in this country as well as those stuck with it! We really don't need to reprise the disasters that Europe and Canada experience with their "comprehensive" health care systems which ration care and surgeries.

The Republicans both (house and senate ) are in colusion with the Democrats and the new majority in The House does NOT have the power to implement the funding cuts and the new Speaker appears to be afraid of his own shadow.Did anyone notice that he appears to be nowhere to be found when it comes to these mandatory cuts in spending.

It would be really great if it would go away. However, because there aren't enough Republicans with the guts to get rid of it I'm afraid we are stuck with it. When push comes to shove the NE RINOs in the senate will fold and vote with the leftists making sure it will be a way of life forever.

The arrogant cavalier attitude in which is was passed. The vulgar expressions of triumph. The Hidden Agendae within the body of the bill. The Death Squads, The deals. The Exemptions. …All have continued to reinforce the greatest mistrust of any bill ever put forth by congress and a president. The secret 105 billion…What else will come out? It must be defunded immediately. To do otherwise is to be derelict in duty.

Obamacare— What do you expect from a president whose resume' only includes "community organizer" and less than a term as senator. And oh, of course he was also a liberal college law professor, so he sees everything from an "ivory tower" perspective. You can blame it all on the American education system, all these so-called "educators" who don't teach our kids anything worthwhile, like "civics" for instance. So now we the people reap the (political) crop of all these years of political ignorance.

What I want to know is what are all the hidden items in Obamacare. Why is no one talking about them? What are they and what can we do about them. We want information loud and clear and it is not being given to us. Put out one bill at a time with nothing hidden from now on. We are tired of being lied to and dirty tricks being played by our politicians. This is still America. Have some honor. No more Obama, Pelosi or Reid ," you'll have to pass the bill to know what is in it. " Shame, shame shame. Where was their honor? It seems they have none.

You could also mention the rationing board or "Death Panel" euphemistically named the "Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research" that was deceptively created and funded by the Porkulus Bill, H.R.1. Barack Insane Obama appointed all 15 members of this Council three days after signing Porkulus into law.

No one talks of this Council, but it is the only portion of Obamacare that will reduce costs. It will reduce costs by simply eliminating and/or reducing available health care treatments for certain groups – primarily the elderly. It would be great if you guys would discuss this sometime because people generally don't know of its existence and the press won't discuss it.

Then there are the costs to society that no one is talking about and cannot be measured. Why, all of a sudden, are insurance companies denying necessary tests for insureds? We have had the same insurance for 20 years. This is the first year they have started started this and have denied a procedure that could help my husband after approving the trial which proved effective. I have talked to many in and out of the medical profession who are experiencing similar situations. I believe this is a direct result of Obama trying to control private industry – we end up paying the ultimate price for another failed policy.

It is obvious to me that this disaster of a bill was meant to fail. After insurance rates skyrocket, many insurance companies exit the market, thousands of people are put on Medicaid, doctors and hospitals stop accepting public aid patients, Obama will come to the rescue and offer the great socialist solution: THE SINGLE PAYER SYSTEM. Of course that's what the libs wanted all along.

Can anyone imagine what the likes of ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, the Wash. Post, the New York times et. al. would have to say if George Bush had done half the things BHO has done? And yet what we hear is FOX News is biased and only wants Obama to fail. (Ken Jarvis) The truth is, Obama has failed, but the left wing media keeps printing the overwhelming "successes" of his administration.

Wake up America!! Wake up Republicans currently in office!! The hand writing is on the wall. This clown is destined for another four years, and the country stands by to witness it and be the losers for it!!

Start with the $105Billion that O R and P left reeking within in the bill. These are "hidden" implementation funds. That kind of sounds like the head of this monster. We get a two-fer cut off the head and save $105Billion.

Just a comment on government incentives to businesses to train their employees…..it sounds good, but what happens is that companies get more money from the government for training than actually KEEPING the employees once they are trained. Trainers are set up and there is a revolving door of trainees, then employees for x amount of days/weeks and then the cycle starts all over again. Businesses don't care if anyone stays because they are getting a boat load of cash to "train" people. This is a ripoff and I'd like to know how to stop it.

Sorry, if this comment doesn't belong here…guess I just wanted to vent.

no one would have believed that in the opening decade of the twenty first century that mortal men were being watched keenly by intelligence's that considered them selves to be greater than mere humans. these intelligences were as mortal as all human beings are but thet studied and scrutinized the populations beneath them as closely as a scienist might examine a beetle. americans went about their affairs confident of their place in the world and the good works and stability their culture provided far beyond their shores.

no one gave thought to the old ideas that had destroyed so many others, to even think they would find footing in america. if they thought about them at all as a source of danger it was a passing notion quickly disregarded as making no sense much less being capable of coming to fruition here.

its curious to recall some of the mental habits of those days before the coming. most americans secure in their freedom fancied that a threat might exist but nothing that couldnt be dealt with in the market place of ideas.

yet across a gulf between them and ordinary people were the elitesw with minds and creeds surpassing mortal men…intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic to the common greatness of everyday people….the elites looked at their lives…at the hustle and bustle and industry of all those lesser beings with envious eyes and bottomless appetites for their produce.

slowly and surely they drew their plans aganst america…and early on in the new century came a great contrived dissillusionment with what had come before….. their time to take power had come….their time to take control of ordinary people had come around….they would now decide who lived and died…the elites were seeking a new host with their worlds collapsing behind them across the sea… surely here the new canaan….surely here this time after so much failure.

surely here the elites must fail…and we must make it so…find the will and develop leaders to get the job done

Obama fully INTENDS to ruin this country and our economy. It is important that the country finally realizes this. This is his path towards installing his marxist ideology and redistribution of wealth. Obama HATES America as it was founded. Even Rep. Kucinich last week angrily called him out for acting like a "king". Obama IS the Soros-proclaimed king and our Constitution has been reduced to Obama's TP. Obama does not care that Obamacare is unconstitutional. He has given "waivers" to his selected unions and other supporters. The rest of us are chopped liver. The Constitution is for wiping his behind. It's time for the 2nd American Revolution if we are to remain the land of the free.

[…] from repealing only portions of Obamacare, because piecemeal repeal would relieve pressure for the full repeal that's needed. Denial of funds removes only some of the immediate harm; full repeal of Obamacare is needed to […]

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